Hostage Situation
by TheCorpMaster
Summary: *Follow-up to The Newcomers* Only a few days after the failed assassination, Sherman decides to fix his mistake by killing the one man that stands in Rodrigo's way. As an incentive for the people to get rid of Julius, he kidnaps a young worldwide singing sensation. Now, in order to rescue the star, Julius must work with new friends. But there's a secret hiding in 'Sky Fortress.'
1. Chapter 1

The concert was loud and booming. The crowds were cheering, and almost everybody was enjoying the music. Almost everybody.  
Sherman was sitting in the back row seats, where no one was sitting. Everyone wanted to get as close to the stage as possible. Which is why no one complained or wondered why Sherman had binoculars, or a suit on. He was staring at the singer, his target.  
"Concert ends in fifteen minutes, people will be gone in thirty, and the backstage VIP tour will be gone in an hour-and-forty-five minutes. I could get her during the tour. Requires risk of detection, but..." Sherman put away his binoculars, and walked the exit.  
Because everyone was too busy at the concert, Sherman was able to slip to the backstage entrance easily. The two guards store at him.  
"Who are you, and what are you doing back here?"  
"My name is Sherman R. Patricks. I'm a representative for NewTimes Studios. My card." He pulled out a small card. The guard closest to him grabbed it, and took a good long look at it.  
"So, you would like to offer Mina a record deal with the company. Several others had tried, none were accepted."  
"It never hurts to try. Worst case scenario, I go in there, she says no, and I go on my way."  
"There will be a tour going on after the show, so you won't be able to she her until 10:30. However, you may discuss this with her manager, Ash."  
"Thank you," said Sherman. The guards opened the door for Sherman, and led him inside. Once they entered, the taller guard pushed a button on his communicator.  
Within a few moments, Ash showed up.  
"Excuse me sir," said the guard closest to Sherman."but this man would like to discuss a record deal."  
"What company are you from?"  
"NewTimes Production Studios," said Sherman. Ash motioned for Sherman to follow him. He led him to a small office room. They sat down at the desk.  
"Alright, so your company, NewTimes Studios. Do you have anything I can reference to?"  
A SHORT WHILE LATER...  
The backstage VIP tour winners were standing and waiting for the tour to start. Those who were not old enough to go by themselves brought an adult to watch them. There were no guys in the group, except one.  
His name was Francisco Cylon, and the only reason he was there was because his 15-year old sister, Ashley, had won, and he was the only adult available to take her. He would rather visit his girlfriend than watch his sister on a tour of the backstage life of a 13-year old was an orange-and-white fox with brown hair and hazel eyes. And not only was he the only guy here, he was also the only person in any kind of military uniform. His black-and-red Mobian Elite Sniper suit. He was also carrying his sister's bag filled with all the things she wanted Mina to sign.  
"So when does this tour end," asked Francisco.  
"At 10:30," said Ashley.  
"Great," said Francisco with obvious sarcasm. Ashley didn't pay any attention to his last statement. She was too excited to meet Mina, and her yellow pupils shone with it. She had nearly tripped on her pants while coming backstage because she had ran. She was trying her hardest not to squeal...  
Finally, the door opened, and who should be there but the Forget Me Knots, Sharps, Max, Mach, and Mina.  
"Welcome everybody," said Mina. A cheer came from the tour group. "Now before we begin, remember the rules. Don't touch anything you're not allowed to, and do not go in the offices unless it's part of the tour. Now let's go." The group followed the band inside.  
AN HOUR-AND-THIRTY MINUTES LATER...  
Francisco couldn't say he enjoyed the tour, but at least it wasn't boring. They traveled around, learning how the band warmed up, what was used for stage effects and so forth. He had gotten a few photos of Ashley with the instruments, microphones, and even a picture of her with the band. She had gotten all her things signed, and learned everything she wanted to know.  
Then, the band started telling stories about their lives, and they invited the tour to tell anything they would like to share. Of course, Ashley raised her hand first. She went through her story of how Mina's music had inspired her to become an espionage agent, and anything related to that. She even told them about him and his profession as an elite sniper and some of his achievements, to which everyone stared at him in awe.  
Finally the tour was over and everyone was leaving the building. However, Mina grabbed Ashley's shoulder and stopped her.  
"Your story was amazing."  
"Thanks."  
"What is your name?"  
"Ashley. Ashley Cylon."  
"Well Ashley, I hope we see each other again."  
"I do too." Mina gave her a pat on the shoulder and a smile, before she turned around, and left. And of course, being the loving fan she was, Ashley snuck right back in.  
MEANWHILE...  
"So that is all this contract states. Simple, straightforward. No loopholes or anything. So, do we have a deal?" Ash thought for a few moments.  
"I'll need to discuss this with Mina. We will have an answer for you in a few days."  
"Alright, call me when you've made up your mind," said Sherman. Both men got up and shook each other's hand. Ash turned around to get something, just as Sherman pulled out a handgun and thwacked him on the head. Ash fell to the floor, unconscious. The side of his head was bleeding mildly.  
"Ash, where are you?" Sherman recognized the voice. It was his target, Mina Mongoose. He walked outside, and turned to the right. He saw Mina stop in her tracks when she saw Sherman. He ran at her, and by the time she turned around (despite her speed), he was upon her. He pulled out a syringe with a clear liquid, and drove it into her neck. She fell to the floor.  
"Sleeping agent," whispered Sherman. He lifted her up, and carried her out the door to his car. No one saw him. No one but Ashley.  
She had been 'following' Mina. She saw Sherman walk out the room, and had managed to take a picture of Sherman injecting Mina. She waited for Sherman to leave, and then ran to her brother's car, two blocks away.  
"Ashley, there you are. Where in the world..."  
"No time! Francisco, look!" She showed him the picture of the injection.  
"Ashley, who is that guy?"  
"I don't know, but we need to tell someone about this. Who though?"  
"I got it! Her manager/boyfriend, Ash. Come on!" They found him exactly as Sherman had left him. It took a few minutes, but finally, they woke Ash woke up.  
"What happened?"  
"No time! There's a more-than-likely chance that Mina could have been kidnapped!"  
"What?!"  
"Here I'll show you," said Ashley, putting up the photo to his face.  
"We need to get help now! Quick, I know someone that can! Follow me!" They ran with him outside, all the way to Castle Acorn.


	2. Chapter 2

MEANWHILE...  
Julius had been on Mobius for a few days, and honestly, it wasn't as bad as he thought. He had met another royal family, and had made a acquaintances with Tails, Nicole, Sally, and Sonic. He was staying at Castle Acorn with Manuel and Lily until he found his own space to live. Due to his actions, he had been well-received by the public. He wasn't as famous as he was back home, but he loved that fact.  
Right now, Julius, Manuel,Daniel, and Lily were sitting with Nicole, Sally, Sonic, and Miles in a lounge somewhere in the castle. They were sitting around, laughing at funny jokes, telling memorable stories, recalling fights. Right then, Julius was telling them about his siblings.  
"My brother, he's a lady's man, asking every girl he finds cute for their phone number. My oldest sister is a perfectionist, always taking five hours in the bathroom just to put on lipstick. My younger sister is a tomboy, always playing sports with the boys in jeans and a t-shirt. I remember one Christmas in Europe..." A loud knocking stopped him mid-story. Nicole got up and opened the door. It was Ash, behind him was Ashley and Francisco.  
"Ash? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with Mina?"  
"I would be with Mina... If she was here! Look, there is a large possibility Mina has been kidnapped."  
"Kidnapped," said Sonic,"why would someone kidnap her?"  
"I bet it's Robotnik," spoke Tails,"he despises her."  
"No, it's not Robotnik," said Francisco.  
"Then who was it?"  
"The guy called himself Sherman R. Patricks, but probably is a fake name," said Ash  
"Then describe him for us," said Sally.  
"He was a black echidna in a black suit. He had black, disheveled hair, black shoes, and black pupils."  
"This picture may be better," said Ashley, putting it up.  
"Nicole," said Sally,"inform the royal guards of the situation. Get four groups of three to search around the city. Hurry! Ash, go back to the stadium, check the security cameras, see if you can find anything." Nicole instantly vanished and Ash ran back in the direction he came from.  
"You two," said Sonic, pointing at Ashley and Francisco,"what are you still doing here? This is too serious for civilians."  
"Sorry, but I'm not just a civilian," said Francisco, pulling out his badge. "I'm Francisco Cylon, top member of the Mobian Elite Sniper unit. This is my sister Ashley Cylon, rookie espionage agent."  
"I've heard of you two," said Tails, causing everyone in the room to turn around in surprise. "Francisco 'The Red Bandana' Cylon, known throughout the army for once taking out an entire missile transportation unit with one bullet and an outdated rifle. Ashley Cylon, known for being able to finish missions faster than several experts, and for passing the physical entrance exam with a perfect score."  
"Why do you know this," asked Sonic.  
"Sometimes I get tired of inventing. But these guys are perfect for the investigation."  
"Maybe Francisco, but we are not going to use a rookie agent."  
"Sonic," said Sally,"give her a chance. She is an official agent, so she has gone through the necessary training."  
"Fine, just follow our instructions."  
A SHORT WHILE LATER...  
Mina woke up in a dark room. A very faint light filled the space. She tried to move, but she couldn't. Her feet were cuffed together, and her arms were tied to her side. She was put in a sitting position. She wanted to scream and shout, but all she could manage to muster was a fearful whisper. "Help."  
A door opened, and in stepped Sherman. He was in his military uniform, and walked in with pride in his strut. He had a cigarette in his mouth.  
The lights turned on, an Mina found that she was in some sort of escape pod.  
"Already awake Sleeping Beauty," he said mockingly. "That sleeping agent should have lasted two more hours, so you must be a tough one. Or... perhaps you're just better equipped genetically against it."  
"Where am I,"  
"On 'Sky Fortress'. Escape Pod Area 23. An unnecessary unit, if you ask me."  
"Why are you doing this," asked Mina softly  
"For power. Power, conquest, money, glory." He took the cigarette out of his mouth, and blew a cloud of smoke in the air. "Here, I'll make you a deal. I won't hurt you, your boyfriend and some of your friends if you'll serve me." Mina looked down on the floor. "Still choosing, you and your family or the rest of the world. I make it simpler." He leaned to Mina's ear.  
"Listen and listen closely. If you so much as mention three word of this to anyone, I'll personally hang all your friends, family, and you." Mina gasped in fear, but Sherman continued. "Once the red hedgehog Julius and all his buddies from our world are dead, I plan on killing Rodrigo and all his officials. All the generals on the ship will perish, except me. You don't know just how powerful I am. I'll keep all your friends and family alive and well. I'll let your band continue playing music. You won't even have to be my servant. All you need to do is keep this secret." Sherman laughed in a demonic way. He took another breath of the cigarette.  
"Adios, sweet-cheeks," he said sarcastically, right before slapping her across the face. He walked out laughing demonically again,smoke coming from his mouth, and Mina was once again left in the darkness.  
She tried to say something back, but she couldn't. All she could think about was her friends, her family, Ash...  
"Somebody will come for me," whispered Mina to herself. "Someone will save me from this nightmare..."  
"Don't count on it," said Sherman. He walked to the elevator, and pushed the button for the bottom floor.


	3. Chapter 3

The elevator whined as it descended. Sherman was humming a tune from a song he knew with the cigarette still in his mouth.  
'I wonder how long Mina will keep my secret.' thought Sherman.'Will it be for a day, a month, years, decades? It doesn't matter at this moment. If she cracks now, no one will believe her.' Finally, the elevator opened, and Sherman stepped out.  
The prisoner section. Where all the traitors, revolutionists, and enemies of the state were placed. As he walked by them, some of them begged to be let free, claiming they were innocent. Others moved away from their doors, afraid. Still, others just stood or sat quietly. Sherman ignored all of them, and walked to the two cells on the other end of the hallway. There were three figures in the cells.  
One was a male red hedgehog, like Julius. He had brown, droopy hair, green eyes, black sneakers, black jeans, and a black dress shirts. Another was a female red rabbit. She had brown, straight hair that went all the way down her back, hazel eyes, white gloves, a yellow, rolled-up sleeve sweater, a yellow skirt, and pink boots. The last one was a female red cat. She had brown, curly hair that went halfway down her back, black, fingerless gloves, a blue sweater, purple pants, white shoes, and green sunglasses. They all had a symbol on their right sleeve, the same one as Julius. They all stared at him as he walked over.  
"Hello Gregory, Jessica, Rebecca. How are you today?"  
"What do you care," said Gregory.  
"I don't know. Felt I should be more... sympathetic today."  
"Why are you really here, Sherman," said Rebecca, the cat.  
"You really want to know? Your brother Julius has made worldwide headlines for saving the princess of this world."  
"Let me guess, you were the one he stopped."  
"Yes."  
"Why are you telling us this," spoke Jessica, the rabbit.  
"Because Julius will be no more in a couple of hours."  
"What," said all three of the prisoners.  
"Yes, and though I will not reveal my plan, let's just leave it at this... The people will take care of it."  
"You're evil, Sherman. Evil."  
"Why thank you. I try my best. Ohh... And also..." Sherman pushed a button on the wall. A white smoke filled the two cells.  
"Sweet dreams," he said, as Gregory, Jessica, and Rebecca fell to the floor. Sherman pushed another button, and within a few moments, several guards showed up. Sherman pointed at the unconscious bodies, and directed the soldiers to take them upstairs.  
HOURS LATER...  
"Any luck," asked Ash.  
"No, still nothing," said Nicole. "Not even a footprint. Whoever that man was, he must have planned this thoroughly."  
"I'm worried about Mina."  
"We all are." Sonic, Sally, Tails, and several soldiers walked in.  
"We've been searching all night. Nothing. This isn't good," said Tails  
"What are we going to do," asked Nicole.  
"I don't know." At this moment, Ashley, Francisco, and Julius walked in.  
"Where's Manuel and Lily," said Sally.  
"Still searching," said Julius as he walked toward a television. "And if any of you will ever wonder why I don't like the media, here's why." He turned on the T.V. and went straight to Channel 23. A news broadcast about the disappearance and possible kidnapping of Mina Mongoose was playing.  
"How did they..." Suddenly, the news broadcast went static, which became replaced with a live broadcast. The man known as Sherman R. Patricks appeared on the screen. He tapped it with a gun, before speaking.  
"Ladies, gentleman, children of all ages. We interrupt your scheduled programming to bring you this important message from 'Sky Fortress'. Let's go to our special guest, Mina Mongoose." The image turned to the right, and Mina could be seen. She was kneeling on the floor, her feet cuffed, arms tied to her side, and mouth gagged. Her eyes were tearing, hair disheveled, and her right cheek was red. She was surrounded by soldiers, and to her right was Rodrigo.  
"We are responsible for the kidnapping. Our demands are simple." Rodrigo held up a picture of Julius. "Execute this man, and we will release Mina. Or, he could come and try to get her himself. But..." The image turned to the left. It fell on three figures, all of them put in a similar position as Mina, except they weren't gagged. Rodrigo grabbed the right shoulder of the guy, and turned him. A symbol was on his shoulder. They did the same with the other two. "Doesn't this look familiar, Julius?"  
"My family crest," said Julius, under his breath.  
"You won't get away with this Rodrigo," yelled the guy. "You watch! Your entire army will crumble! You'll see, you piece of..." A soldier walked up behind him, and bunted him hard on the back of his head. His head dropped down, and he was obviously unconscious. The others next to him gasped. Rodrigo ignored them.  
"Your choice Julius. Only one answer. You can't chose both. And the longer you take..."  
"The more 'fun' we get to have with them. Why don't we all play a game? It's called 'Who Goes First'," said Sherman, as he pulled out a knife. He laughed demonically, before bringing back his fist and punching the camera. It went static, before the image went back to regular news.  
"My family," said Julius. "My brother, my sisters. No..." Everyone turned to Julius, except Nicole. She had vanished.


	4. Chapter 4

_A FEW MINUTES LATER... _  
"Excellent performance Mina," said Sherman insultingly, as he threw her back into the pod. "I almost believed you were a helpless kidnapping victim. Have you ever thought of an acting career?" He placed her back in her original position, before shutting the door. This time, she didn't even speak. She just sat there, her head facing down.  
'Why,' thought Mina,'Why is this happening? What did we do to earn this?'  
"Mina," asked a voice. Mina looked up suddenly. She recognized it. It was Nicole.  
"Nicole," asked Mina quietly.  
"Mina. You're ok."  
"Where are you?"  
"Look to your left." Mina followed Nicole's instructions. To her left was the control panel. There was a screen in the middle, and in the screen was Nicole.  
"How?"  
"I traced the video signal, and I ended up in their computer system. From there, I traveled around, looking for you."  
"Could you get me out of this?"  
"Physically, no. There isn't enough power around to create my body. I'm working on cracking the launch code, so that I can fire the pod and guide it back to Mobius."  
"What about Julius's family. We have to help them. We can't just leave them."  
"I know. They're in the prison on the west side."  
"What's going to happen to Julius? Will they execute him?"  
"I'm sure Sally won't allow that to happen."  
"How do you know?"  
"Because he's the only one who knows these men's weaknesses."  
"But what if..."  
"I don't mean to be rude, but could you be quiet for a little bit. It's hard to focus on cracking the code and answering your questions at the same time."  
"Oh, ok."  
_MEANWHILE..._  
"Alright," said Tails, "according to Nicole, 'Sky Fortress' is located about two miles south from the city border. The ship is invisible to radar and cameras, but you might be able to use thermal vision to find it. A map of the ship has been sent to us."  
"The plan is simple," said Sonic, "Nicole is trying to hack into the launch system. Julius and Ashley will find Mina, Francisco will find Julius's family, I will distract the guards, and Tails will supervise the mission, as well as pilot the plane."  
"What if Nicole finds the code before we get there," asked Ashley.  
"Then help one of the others."  
"Everyone get on," shouted Tails, as he activated the plane." Everyone found a seat, and Tails guided the plane down the runway up into the sky. They could here the cheers of the crowds as they ascended to the air.  
_A MINUTE LATER..._  
"Target is in sight," shouted Tails, "We're landing on southeast area of the ship. Mina is located in EPA 23, top of the tower directly on the north side. Julius's family is located in west prison facility on the bottom levels of the ship. Many of the soldiers are positioned on all floors in between, directly in the middle of both of our targets." The plane jerked as they landed on the top of the ship. Once the plane came to a complete stop, everybody but Tails left.  
Julius and Ashley ran across the ship to the northern tower. About 12 meters away, Julius held up his hand. He kneeled down to the floor and started yanking on something on the floor. The thing ripped off, and Julius climbed in an airway. Ashley quickly followed suit.  
For about two meters, everything went according to plan. Then, something snapped, dropping Ashley down to the floor. Julius turned, and looked down.  
"Ashley, you alright?"  
"Yeah."  
"Do you need me to get you?"  
"No, I can manage. Keep going." Julius nodded his head and continued crawling.  
Finally, he had reached the tower. He was about to drop down into the hallway, when he heard the sounds of footsteps. A female soldier was walking to the tower. She pushed a button, opening the elevator. She walked inside, and it closed, the machinery humming as it went up. Julius dropped into the hallway. Oddly, there were no other soldiers. He used his strength to open the doors. He jumped, grabbing a wire moving up. He held on, and waited for it to stop.  
The cord stopped moving, indicating that the elevator had reached the top. He climbed the rest of the way. Quietly, he opened the emergency exit on the elevator. The female soldier was standing there, tapping her foot in impatience. Julius snuck up behind her, pulled out his revolver, and pointed it at her head. The soldier stiffened, and a slight whimpering could be heard.  
"Now where is Mina," said Julius, right before he was thrown against the wall by a mysterious force.


	5. Chapter 5

Julius hit the wall hard. He tried breaking out of the thing that held him, but it held on with an iron grip. He suddenly felt his arm being out behind his back. Then, he cried out in pain as he heard a sickening 'crunch'. Whatever was holding him had broken his right arm, and broken it good. He felt his left arm being placed behind his back, but instead of it being broken, it was cuffed to his broken arm.  
"Hurts, doesn't it," said the unknown thing, dropping Julius to the floor. It was Sherman. He was wearing the suit, except he had his general's cap on. He store at Julius with a sick, twisted grin. He brought his foot up, and stomped on Julius's nose. Blood started trickling down his face. Sherman turned around and opened a capsule. In it was Mina. She let out a slight squeal when he walked in. Sherman walked to the control panel, and looked down on it. Even though Julius was on the floor, he saw Nicole on the screen, staring at Sherman in shock. Sherman pushed a button, and instantly, the screen started to turn red. Nicole started to disintegrate on the screen, eventually fading away.  
"Don't worry," said Sherman, turning to face Julius and Mina, "she's fine. She was merely banished from our system using an anti-virus. We decided she would be worth keeping." Sherman turned to the female soldier, who had recovered from her shock. "You, get the pod ready for takeoff."  
"Yes sir," said the soldier. She climbed into the pod, into the control seat, and started pushing a complex series of buttons Julius couldn't comprehend. Sherman walked out of the pod, walking to Julius. The capsule closed, but didn't take off. Sherman stood above Julius, staring at him, hands folded behind his back.  
"Well Julius, I guess this is the end. The only thing I'll regret is killing you quicker than I wanted."  
"You think you've won Sherman? I've got plenty of help on this ship. They'll come and get me."  
"That's what I'm counting on," said Sherman. He removed his hands from behind his back, revealing the sword. He drove it in Julius's leg with such inhuman force, they heard the metal floor moan and snap as it broke through. Julius screamed in horrific agony, so loud that it seemed impossible for no one to hear him. Sherman smiled and walked to the elevator.  
"Ohh, and by the way, I'm the one who killed your parents, not Rodrigo."  
Sherman pushed a remote in his hand. The entire room turned red with light, and a self-destruct system activated. The pod launched immediately, and the elevator shut, but not before Julius saw both Mina and Sherman staring at him, Mina with fear, Sherman with delight.  
MEANWHILE...  
The pod shook as it exited the tunnel, but Mina paid no attention. She had no hope of rescue now. No one could save her. No one. She looked at the soldier piloting the pod.  
"How can you even work for someone like that," she asked the soldier.  
"A few reasons," responded the soldier, "the pay is good, my family remains safe, and I get plenty of things necessary in my life at extremely low payments."  
"You saw what he did."  
"Julius was an enemy of the state."  
"He's only a teen!" Mina's voice raised substantially in that one sentence, as did her courage.  
"Doesn't matter."  
"Doesn't matter?! How would you feel if they took one of your family members, and did what Sherman did to Julius? And all because he was an 'enemy of the state'. Tell me, how many innocent people do they have imprisoned on that ship? How many have they killed?" The soldier just sat silently, focusing on flying the pod. Mina continued.  
"Let me tell you something. As soon as we land, I'm going to run, and nothing you can threaten me with will change my mind."  
"You know," said the soldier quickly, "I have a feeling you will be rescued."  
"What," said Mina, completely confused. "What are you talking about?"  
"A crude but effective strategy that can be summed up into four words." The soldier lifted up her mask, and the face of Ashley appeared.  
"Appearances can be deceiving." She pushed a yellow button on the panel, before walking to Mina, and releasing her from her restraints. Mina rubbed her arms and store at, utterly shocked.  
"How?"  
"I would tell you, but I have to get to flying this thing. The controls are just like any other plane, how ironic."  
"But Julius. We need to get him."  
"Don't worry, we have someone who will." She touched something in her ear, and briefly spoke with someone.  
"Who were you talking to?"  
"Tails. They managed to free all the prisoners, and they stole all the escape pods."  
"Did Nicole lead you here?"  
"Yes and no. She did tell us were 'Sky Fortress' was, but everything else was sent by a special contact."  
"Who?"  
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."


End file.
